Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · May 2012
Comparative StudyAortic stiffness and distensibility in top-level athletes.
Although cardiac adaptation to different sports has been extensively described, the potential relationship of training with aortic root (AR) elastic properties and diameters in top-level athletes remains not fully investigated. The aims of this study were to compare AR morphology and stiffness between highly trained athletes and sedentary subjects and to assess the independent determinants of AR stiffness and distensibility in athletes. ⋯ AR diameters and stiffness were significantly greater in strength-trained athletes, while aortic distensibility was higher in endurance athletes compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · May 2012
Comparative StudyImpaired left ventricular myocardial mechanics and their relation to pulmonary regurgitation, right ventricular enlargement and exercise capacity in asymptomatic children after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.
Left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is common in adults late after repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The early detection of myocardial dysfunction may be important, but LV myocardial strain and dyssynchrony are not well studied in children with TOF. The objective of this study was to investigate LV strain and dyssynchrony in asymptomatic children and adolescents after contemporary repair of TOF. The hypothesis was that impaired LV myocardial mechanics are related to pulmonary regurgitation, right ventricular (RV) enlargement, and exercise capacity. ⋯ LV circumferential and radial strain are significantly reduced in children and adolescents after TOF repair and are associated with pulmonary regurgitation and RV dilatation. Resting LV mechanical dyssynchrony does not appear to contribute to early impaired LV strain in this population.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · May 2012
Comparative StudyPrevalence of non-cardiac pathology on clinical transthoracic echocardiography.
Non-cardiac findings (NCFs) are seen in more than a third of cardiac computed tomographic and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging studies. The prevalence and importance of NCFs in transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) imaging is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of NCFs on TTE imaging. ⋯ Clinical TTE studies demonstrate NCFs in 7.5% of all patients, with an increased prevalence on inpatient studies. Although 75% of NCFs were potentially management changing, the majority of these were previously known and very unlikely to lead to management changes. Further study is needed to validate these findings in other populations and to assess their clinical impact.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · May 2012
Comparative StudyCan simple echocardiographic measures reduce the number of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging studies to diagnose right ventricular enlargement in congenital heart disease?
Right ventricular (RV) enlargement is used as a criterion for the treatment of RV outflow tract dysfunction in patients with congenital heart disease. Although RV volumes are most accurately measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), CMR is a limited resource. The aim of this study was to investigate whether simple echocardiographic measurements can adequately predict RV volumes below clinical thresholds, thereby reducing the need for CMR in some patients. ⋯ The specificity of echocardiography-measured RVEDAi can be set to predict RV volumes below a 170 mL/m(2) threshold in 100% of cases. This may reduce the need for CMR to determine RV volumes in ≥25% of patients with congenital heart disease, potentially reducing patient burden and costs.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · May 2012
Comparative StudyRight ventricular systolic strain is altered in children with sickle cell disease.
Several adult studies have shown that sickle cell disease is associated with cardiac abnormalities and premature death. The aim of this study was to use speckle-tracking strain, a relatively load independent parameter, to evaluate systolic left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function in a pediatric sickle cell disease population. ⋯ In children with sickle cell disease, LV diastolic function is significantly altered, although LV systolic function, evaluated by global longitudinal strain, is normal. In addition, cardiac output is increased, and elevated tricuspid regurgitation velocity is common, whereas it is never found in controls. Most importantly, global RV longitudinal systolic strain is significantly altered.